Wednesday, May 6, 2009

The 2009 Steering Committee/Experts meeting of
the African Rice Initiative (ARI) of the Africa Rice Center was held in
Cotonou, Benin, 4-6 May.

More than 35 participants attended, including
four representatives from the African Development Bank (AfDB) as well as
representatives from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), the AfDB-funded NERICA® project countries, the three Common Fund for
Commodities (CFC)-funded rice project countries, four observer countries
(Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon and Senegal), and Sasakawa Global 2000 (SG
2000).

The Director General of the national program
from Gabon, Dr Obame Ondo, was specially invited to attend as observer. Gabon
is keen to join the Africa Rice Center.

The Steering Committee reviewed the progress
made in AfDB-funded project countries (Benin, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Mali,
Nigeria and Sierra Leone) and in the CFC-funded project countries (Cameroon,
Chad and Central African Republic).

The Steering Committee meeting this year was
particularly noteworthy because of the participation of Mr Bakary Togola from
Mali, President of the farmers’ association APCAM, who has achieved remarkable
success in rice farming.

AfricaRice headquarters is based in Côte d’Ivoire. Staff are located in Côte d’Ivoire and also in AfricaRice Research Stations in Benin, Liberia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania. For more information visit: www.AfricaRice.org

About CGIAR

CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food-secure future. CGIAR science is dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services.

Its research is carried out by 15 CGIAR Centers in close collaboration with hundreds of partners, including national and regional research institutes, civil society organizations, academia, development organizations and the private sector. www.cgiar.org